The best iLovePDF alternative for Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
For a Mac user who wants iLovePDF's everyday tools without uploading files or paying monthly, FileDial is the closest match: its PDF tools cover merge, split, compress, convert, OCR, sign, redact and more, all offline, for $20 once. If you only need the odd merge or rotate, iLovePDF's free web plan or the Preview app already on your Mac will do.
Why people look for an iLovePDF alternative
- The free web plan caps each task: its pricing page lists 2 files per Compress PDF task, 1 file per Split PDF or Word to PDF task, and 15 MB for Office conversions.
- Web tools upload every file to iLovePDF's servers. They are deleted within two hours, but contracts, IDs and payslips still leave your Mac.
- Premium is a recurring subscription; if you use PDF tools a few times a month, paying every month or year adds up.
- iLovePDF is PDF-focused. If you also convert photos, shrink videos or change audio formats, you still need other tools.
About iLovePDF: A PDF toolkit offered as free web tools with a paid Premium plan, plus desktop apps for Mac and Windows and mobile apps. Platforms: Web; desktop app for Mac (Mac App Store) and Windows (Microsoft Store); mobile. Price: Basic web plan free with per-task limits. Premium is a monthly or yearly subscription priced by region: INR 500 a month or INR 2,900 a year as shown to us from India. Business: custom quote.. Where files are processed: Web: processed on its cloud infrastructure and deleted automatically within two hours; signed documents kept up to five years. Desktop app: files processed on your computer, offline.
Every iLovePDF tool, and its FileDial equivalent
| iLovePDF | FileDial (offline) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Merge PDF | Combine › Merge PDFs | One new PDF, in selection order |
| Split PDF | Organize › Split by ranges… | One PDF per range |
| Compress PDF | Compress › Compress PDF | Images at 144 dpi, text stays selectable |
| PDF to Word | Convert › PDF to Word | Paragraphs, fonts, tables and pictures kept in place; scans are OCRed |
| PDF to Excel | Convert › PDF to Excel | One sheet per page, numbers stay numbers |
| PDF to PowerPoint | Convert › PDF to PowerPoint | One slide per page, text stays editable |
| Word to PDF | To PDF › Convert to PDF | Uses Pages or Word when installed |
| PDF to JPG | Convert › PDF to JPG | One JPG per page, 150 dpi |
| JPG to PDF | Combine › Images to PDF | One page per image, sized to the image |
| Edit PDF | Pages › Edit PDF… | Text, images, shapes and drawing, saved as a new copy |
| Sign PDF | Sign & Lock › Place signature… | Image signature, not a certificate signature |
| Protect PDF | Sign & Lock › Add password… | New copy beside the original |
| Unlock PDF | Sign & Lock › Remove password… | New copy beside the original |
| OCR PDF | OCR › Make searchable | Adds an invisible text layer to pages without text |
| Redact PDF | Sign & Lock › Redact text… | Matching pages become images with black boxes, then re-OCRed |
| Compare PDF | Combine › Compare two PDFs | Report PDF with removed text in red, added in green |
What FileDial does not replace:
- iLovePDF runs in any browser and on Windows, Android and iPhone; FileDial is Mac only.
- HTML to PDF from a live web address: FileDial converts files, not URLs.
- Premium plans for teams of up to 25 users with shared billing; FileDial is a single-user licence for 2 Macs.
Details about iLovePDF come from its own website, checked 2026-11-09. FileDial tool names match the app exactly.
The best iLovePDF alternatives for Mac
1. FileDial
FileDial is our app. You select files in Finder, hold the right Option key and release on a tool, and the result is saved as a new file beside the original with Undo. It has 155 tools for PDFs among 525 in total, and every one works with Wi-Fi off.
- Covers most of iLovePDF's homepage tools with exact equivalents
- No per-task file or size caps
- Also handles photos, video, audio and archives
- Not free after the 1-day trial
- Needs macOS 14 or later on an Apple silicon Mac (M1 or newer)
- No Windows, web or phone version
2. iLovePDF Desktop
iLovePDF's own app for Mac and Windows processes heavy PDF tasks offline and keeps files on your computer, per its desktop page. If you like the iLovePDF interface and already pay for Premium, this is the least disruptive switch.
- Same tool names you already know
- Mac and Windows from one subscription
- Files handled locally
- Desktop tools sit in the Premium plan
- PDF-focused, no photo, video or audio tools
3. Sejda Desktop
Sejda says its desktop app processes files on your computer, not on its servers. The free tier allows 3 tasks a day on documents up to 50 MB and 200 pages, and it has builds for Intel and Apple silicon Macs, Windows and Linux.
- Runs on Intel Macs and Linux too
- Free tier for occasional jobs
- Advanced splitting options
- Free tier capped at 3 tasks a day
- Paid plan is a yearly subscription
4. Preview (built into macOS)
Preview can combine PDFs by dragging thumbnails between documents, reorder and rotate pages, add a signature and password-protect a file. It edits in place, so Apple suggests duplicating a PDF first if you want to keep the original.
- Already on every Mac
- Good for quick page edits
- No PDF to Word, Excel or PowerPoint
- No batch tools or targeted compression
Web, desktop or neither: what iLovePDF actually offers on a Mac
Most people meet iLovePDF in a browser, where every file is uploaded and processed on its cloud infrastructure. Its security page says processed files are deleted automatically within two hours, and signed documents are kept for up to five years. That is a reasonable policy, but it still means a copy of your file sits on someone else's server for a while.
iLovePDF also publishes a desktop app for Mac and Windows that, by its own description, processes heavy tasks offline. The catch is the plan structure: the free desktop plan is described as a reader, and the tools sit under Premium. So the real choice for a Mac user is between paying iLovePDF a subscription for offline use, or moving to a one-time Mac app.
How to do iLovePDF's most popular jobs in FileDial
Merge, compress and split account for most of what people use iLovePDF for. In FileDial each is one gesture from Finder, and results land next to the original so nothing is overwritten.
- Select the PDFs in Finder in the order you want them joined.
- Hold the right Option key; the dial opens at the pointer.
- Move to Combine and release on Merge PDFs to get one new PDF in selection order.
- To shrink the result, select it, open the dial again and release on Compress › Compress PDF, or Compress › Compress PDF (strong) for images at 96 dpi.
- To split it, use Organize › Split by ranges… and type the page ranges you want as separate files.
Where the free web plan stops being enough
iLovePDF's pricing page is unusually transparent about free limits, which makes it easy to see when you will hit them. Compress PDF takes 2 files per task, Split PDF and Word to PDF take 1, and Office conversions top out at 15 MB. Premium raises most tools to 4 GB per task.
FileDial has no tiers to hit. You can select a whole folder of scanned contracts and run OCR › Make searchable on all of them at once. On a MacBook, a 42 MB PDF was compressed or OCR'd in about 2 seconds.
Where iLovePDF is still the better choice
If you move between a Windows PC at work and a Mac at home, or need a phone app, iLovePDF covers all of them and FileDial does not. Teams that want one bill for up to 25 people are also better served by iLovePDF Premium or Business. And if you only merge a PDF twice a year, the free web plan or Preview costs nothing.
Questions
Is there an offline version of iLovePDF for Mac?
Yes. iLovePDF offers a desktop app for Mac through the Mac App Store, and its desktop page says it processes heavy PDF tasks offline. The free desktop plan is a reader, while the desktop tools are listed under Premium. FileDial is a one-time-purchase alternative where every tool runs offline.
How long does iLovePDF keep my uploaded files?
Its security page says files processed on the web platform are permanently deleted within two hours, and that signed documents are kept for up to five years. If you would rather no copy exists anywhere else, use a local app such as iLovePDF Desktop, FileDial or Preview.
Does FileDial do everything iLovePDF does?
Not everything. FileDial matches the common PDF jobs, including merge, split, compress, OCR, conversions to Word, Excel and PowerPoint, redaction and comparing two PDFs. It does not convert live web pages by URL, has no Windows or phone app, and has no team plan.
Is iLovePDF free?
The Basic web plan is free with per-task limits on the number and size of files, such as 2 files per Compress PDF task. Premium removes most limits and is billed monthly or yearly at regional prices. FileDial has a 1-day free trial, then costs $20 once for 2 Macs.